Maggie Hammons Parker at home in Stillwell, near Marlinton, Pocahontas County, West Virginia.

Title: Maggie Hammons Parker at home in Stillwell, near Marlinton, Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
Creator/Maker: For Photographs, Archival Documents, & Artifacts: Carl Fleischhauer
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Date: 1970
Caption: The influence of the Hammons family on West Virginia folk life spans generations. However, wide recognition of their songs, stories, and traditions did not come until the 1970s when local musician Dwight Diller became closely acquainted with the Hammonses. Diller learned their music, practiced their traditions, and studied their history. His relationship with the Hammonses triggered interest among other musicians and folklorists, and his field recordings and interviews contributed to a study of the family produced by the Library of Congress in 1973.

The Hammonses are recognized as central to the preservation of authentic musical styles and culture in the region. Recordings of their music have been released by WVU Press, the Library of Congress, Rounder Records, Dwight Diller, and the Augusta Heritage Center of Davis & Elkins College. Pictured here, Maggie Hammons Parker was a matriarch of the family and one of five Hammonses inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2020.
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